Dr. Jallah Barbu says the $US368,000 the Liberian government provided his office will be exhausted this month.
MAMBA POINT, Liberia— Two months after the appointment of Dr. Jallah Barbu as the second head of Liberia’s Office of the War and Economic Crimes Court, the government has finally released $368,000 funding for Dr. Barbu and his team which has been working without pay or operations funding since his appointment on November 1.
By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives
Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti’s office confirmed the funds had left the government’s account on Friday, in a press release.
But in an interview with Front Page Africa/New Narratives Dr. Barbu confirmed the funding has already been exhausted. The Office’s current running costs – more than $120,000 a month – are three times the $42,000 monthly funding allocated in the government’s 2024 budget ($500,000 a year) and nearly five times the $26,000 a month ($313,000 a year) projected budget for 2025.
Dr. Barbu’s budget for the Office covers a range of what he terms essential items, including staff salaries, vehicles, motorbikes, consultants and public outreach across the country among others. While welcoming the government’s release of the funds, he said for at least the first three to five months the costs will balloon far above what the government has currently allocated.
“I believe this is a positive step forward,” said Dr. Barbu of Friday’s release of the funds. “But at the same, I must emphasize that this amount falls far short of what could be the bare minimum to run the office for a year. That Office requires a lot of expenditure, including outreach, which will not just be conducted by the Office, but by civil society organizations, by experts in Liberia, whose work will be buttressed by experts from the international community and partners. Our calculation and estimates come to $1.3 million for the year.”
The release of the first tranche of funds – the remainder of $500,000 allocated to the Office in the 2024 government budget – has come as a relief to court advocates and international donors who had begun to question the government’s commitment to the court as the funding delay dragged on.
(The government has not accounted for the other $132,000 that was allegedly spent by the Office under the leadership of its first head, Cllr. Jonathan Massaquoi, who was removed after an outcry from court advocates about the lack of transparency in his appointment process. Cllr. Massaquoi and Cllr. Oswald Tweh, Liberia’s justice minister, have not responded to multiple requests for details of the expenditure.)
Dr. Barbu said Friday’s funding disbursement ended a stressful period for him and his staff who had provided personal funding for the Office’s operations to date. But they are now immediately plunged into uncertainty again as the $368,000 has gone to pay one year rent of the two-year lease agreement – at $50,000 a year – and salary arrears among others.
The international community has provided some funding for Court activities, but none is expected to be given directly to the Office. The European Union and United States government have provided technical support, with legal and investigations experts coming to Liberia to consult, train and advise Office officials, Liberian lawyers and police. The Swedish government has provided funding to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, which will be used to support the Office. So far, it has funded furniture, with more support to come. The UK government provided $5,000 to fund a trip to Sierra Leone of Liberian officials to learn from officials of the Special Court for Sierra Leone. More international funds will go to victims and other civil society groups.
Dr. Barbu underscored how much his team had achieved in two months since it started work with what he said was nothing but a handover note from Cllr. Massaquoi. Despite having “literally nothing” and operating “on hope” he said they had made key appointments, engaged civil society and victims groups, developed a road map and engaged with the international community.
But he said they would not be ready to send a bill to the Legislature to establish the Court by the end of the one-year executive order that President Boakai issued in May of 2024. Dr. Barbu said he has already begun conversations with the president’s office about an extension of the executive order.
The release of funds was welcomed by the country’s largest victims group.
“This is very welcoming to know that we are trying to take a little step in front,” said Mr. Peterson Sonyah, the executive director of the Liberia Massacre Survivors Association in a phone interview. “We can begin from there and then international partners can come in to see how they can help the process.”
Mr. John Stewart, an ex-commissioner of Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, agreed with Dr. Barbu that the Office needed more than the funds that have been allocated so far.
“I hold the view that they need more money,” said Mr. Stewart in a phone interview. “But it’s not the question of needing more money. It’s the question of how wisely this money is intended to be spent. Like for instance, you want to know the salaries of the executive director and other people. What percentage of that is accounting for the $US368,000?”
Based on his own experience seeking donor funding for the TRC, Mr. Stewart urged Dr. Barbu to work closely with the donors on a work plan.
“Donors will be expected to put in, but they want to know what your work plan is. Is it realistic?” he said. He said the plan must meet the “SMART test” meaning it must be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timebound.
Mr. Stewart also critiqued Dr. Barbu’s initial appointments of Cllr. Asatu Bah Kenneth as director of the Economic Crimes division, Cllr. Frederick Gbemie, Director of the War Crimes division and Atty. Achie P. Williams, as Director of Research without an open application process.
“The present composition of the team lacks someone with transitional justice experience nor contact with or history of working with donor institutions that support transitional justice processes or activities locally and globally,” said Mr. Stewart by text. “Additionally, questions are also being asked about their familiarity with the TRC Report especially those recommendations on accountability and the TRC draft on the proposed War and Economic Crimes Court.”
In response Dr. Barbu maintained that the appointments were temporarily – made to ensure a quick impact while the team awaited government support – and that “we are now developing the ads to advertise the vacancies.”
Dr. Barbu would not be drawn on the Senate’s recent decision to confirm Lewis Brown as Liberia’s ambassador to the United Nations despite him being listed on the TRC’s list of those recommended for prosecution by an economic crimes court. Human rights activists have condemned the confirmation, saying it will undermine Liberia’s efforts to win international support for the court if its chief diplomat is someone who may be indicted by the court.
Constitutionally, after they are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, all cabinet officials must be appointed and commissioned by the president to legitimately hold offices. Mr. Brown has not completed the last two legal requirements. Dr. Barbu noted that President Boakai is taking some time before making the appointment.
“Why the president has not finalized the appointment or commissioned him is not something I’m privy to. Maybe the president is now thinking about that again. I don’t know,” he said. “When the prosecutors make a determination in the future as to who is a candidate for appearing before the court, I’m not sure the president will want to exclude anyone who is indicted or accused of violations of human rights.”
Dr. Barbu also confirmed that following The Gambia’s groundbreaking agreement with the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) to secure an international partnership for its court to try human rights violators under the regime of dictator Yahya Jammeh, Liberian Foreign Minister Sara Beynslow-Nyanti has been actively engaging with Ecowas leadership for a partnership in Liberia. A partnership with an international body is required for the court to operate as a “hybrid” domestic and international court, applying international law.
Advocates for Liberia’s court want it to be based here to try those accused of bearing the greatest responsibility for the wars in which about 250,000 people were killed.
This story is a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the West Africa Justice Reporting Project. Funding was provided by the Swedish Embassy in Liberia which had no say in the story’s content.
